Axial input flow development chamber

ABSTRACT

A system for conveying fluid through a conduit that creates a strong laminar flow of the material surrounded by a boundary layer flow of the same or a different flowable material, such that long transport distances through dramatic elevation and directional changes can be achieved. Some embodiments of the system include a blower assembly, an inlet conduit, an outlet conduit and a mixing chamber, wherein the mixing chamber includes an outer barrel, an inner barrel and an accelerating chamber. Low pressure gas is supplied to the system by the blower assembly and mixed with particulate material. The gas/material mixture is transported through the mixing chamber into the accelerating chamber and through the outlet conduit. In other embodiments, the particulate material is mixed with the gas in the accelerating chamber. Other embodiments of the system include only the mixing chamber, where a flow of at least one flowable material in the form of high or low pressure gas, liquid, and/or particulates suspended within the gas or liquid enters either laterally or axially, forms boundary layer and laminar flows, and exits through the accelerating chamber.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 10/011,493, filed on Dec. 4, 2001, the entire disclosure ofwhich is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention is directed to an apparatus for conveying fluids througha conduit, such as, a pipe or hose, over long distances.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

“Fluids,” as used in this application, are materials capable of flowmovement, such as gases, liquids, solids within gases or liquids, or anycombination of those materials. Conveying systems for transportingfluids, such as pneumatic conveying systems, high and low pressurenatural gas pipelines, flow lines, transmission lines, gatheringsystems, vapor recovery systems, coal bed methane gas lines, and liquidconduits, are known in the art, but all present problems when thematerials are to be transported over large distances.

Pneumatic conveying systems for transporting material through a conduithave been in use for years and are well known in the art. Over the yearsthe designs of these systems have changed to provide for greaterefficiency in operational cost and labor. For instance, early systemsutilized belt driven conveyors to transport materials from an inputhopper to a mixing chamber. Unfortunately, these systems wereinefficient in that the belt drives experienced many problems, such aswearing and breakage. Due, in part to problems experienced with beltsystems, pneumatic conveying systems were developed.

Generally, pneumatic conveying systems include a feed mechanism, suchas, an auger, for transporting the material to a mixing chamber. In themixing chamber, the material is entrained in pressurized gas which issupplied into the mixing chamber through jets or gas inlets. In somesystems, the material and gas are mixed and accelerated in anaccelerating device, such as, a venturi pipe, which is connected to themixing chamber. The accelerated mixture is then transported out of theventuri pipe and into a conduit which conveys the materials to aspecified destination. Typically, conventional pneumatic conveyingsystems can transport material up to about 1,000 feet. The limiteddistance the material can be conveyed is due, in part, to the operatingpressure of the system and the instability of the material flow in theconduit.

Many other problems also exist with pneumatic conveying systems. Forexample, if excessive pressure builds up in the conduit, e.g., from ablockage in the conduit, gas and product back flow into the hopper. Thisback flow is known as “blowback”. Further, as the material travelsthrough the conveying conduit, in earlier designs, and current designs,it strikes the walls of the conduit. This not only damages the walls ofthe conduit, but damages the material as well. Thus, problems of erosionof equipment and attrition of product are also present. Finally, manycurrent designs incur a high cost of operation due to the highrequirement of energy input to operate the system.

Many pneumatic systems have been developed to address differentproblems. For instance, the blowback problem, among others, wasaddressed in the system described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,711,607 to Wynoskyet al. In the Wynosky device, a rotating auger enclosed by a cylindricalbarrel transports particulate material towards the discharge end of thebarrel which resides within a plenum chamber. Pressurized gas isintroduced into the plenum chamber for creating a gas flow in a venturipipe, which is coupled at one end to the plenum chamber and at its otherend to a conduit used to transport the material. Measurements of thepressure differential between the plenum chamber and the conduit areused to monitor potential blowback problems. Further, this systemoperates at lower operating pressures than most systems, e.g., 12-15psi. Nonetheless, this system does not achieve a sufficiently stableflow of material through the conduit, which restricts the distance overwhich the material can be transported, including the ability totransport the material through elevational or directional changes.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,681,132 to Sheppard, Jr. describes an on-line pumpingunit designed to extend transport distances. In Sheppard, the pumpingunit includes a screw conveyor assembly coupled to a laminar flow,inductor assembly. In this system, the inductor assembly forms the coreof a linear accelerator apparatus used to extend transport distances.Nonetheless, this system does not teach how material can be conveyedover very long distances, such as, for example, a mile.

Known natural gas conveying systems, pipelines, transmission lines, andgathering systems have similar problems. Gas is conveyed through thenatural gas flow line in mid- and high-pressure systems in a turbulentflow. Turbulent flow results in friction loss and energy inefficiency,resulting in increased pressure drop. Therefore, higher pressure,increased compressor size, and increased pipeline capacity is needed topush the quantity of gas through the long distance.

Fluids frequently accumulate in low points of the flow line in high, midand low pressure systems and these low points therefore sometimes havesignificantly higher pressure than other portions, resulting in erraticgas production. To alleviate this problem in larger lines, a “pig” isused as a scrubber that can push the liquids down to another part of theline where the pig is retrieved along with the liquid. In smaller lines,the production is halted for periods of time to increase the formationpressure to move the accumulated fluids from the low points in the line.Additionally, in down-hole gas wells with accumulated fluids, plungersare traditionally used to convey the accumulated fluids to the surface,which is time-consuming and costly. The increase of accumulated fluidsover time and breaks in production lead to lower overall gas production,inefficiencies and higher maintenance and production downtime. Thefluids may also freeze in winter, causing plugging of the line and lostgas production.

Liquid is also typically conveyed in a turbulent flow, which leads toboth energy inefficiencies and damage to the conduit, as describedabove. Additionally, non-turbulent flow of material can become turbulentover long distances, and flow-changing devices cannot be easilyinstalled in an existing casing.

As shown from above, a need exists in the art for a system that requireslow energy input in fluid and particulate conveying, reduces equipmentwear, reduces product degradation and can transport materials for longdistances, such as a mile and over. Further, a need exists for a systemthat can convey materials through dramatic high angle and verticalelevation and sharp directional changes. A need also exists for a systemthat can convey materials without plugging, and can further classify andmechanically dry materials during processing. A need exists to alleviatepressure in lines due to accumulated fluids. A need also exists in theart for a conveying system that can be easily installed within anexisting casing in production lines.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

The instant invention is directed to a material handling system fordeveloping a strong laminar flow of fluids surrounded by a boundarylayer flow of the same or different fluid, such that long transportdistances through dramatic elevation and directional changes can beachieved. The boundary layer flow protects the walls of the conductingconduit from assault by the conveyed material, thereby protecting boththe walls of the conduit and the conveyed material. Further, this systemcan utilize low pressure to initiate the conduction of material, therebydramatically reducing the operational costs of this system. This systemcan also operate in high pressure such as, for example, natural gasconveyance at up to and above 1,500 psi. However, this system canequally operate in low pressure gas wells and pipelines, including coalbed methane wells.

One embodiment of the instant invention includes a blower assembly, aninlet and an outlet conduit. The blower assembly supplies low pressuregas to the system through the inlet, which in some preferred embodimentsreceives both gas and the particulate material to be conveyed. The inletis coupled to the flow developing device such that the gas from theblower assembly passes into the mixing chamber.

The mixing chamber includes an outer barrel, an inner barrel and anaccelerating chamber, wherein the inner barrel is disposed within theouter barrel and wherein the outer barrel is coupled to the acceleratingchamber. The inner barrel of the mixing chamber can be either solid orhollow depending upon how materials are to be transported into thesystem. If materials are to be transported into the system entrained ingas, then a solid or capped inner barrel is generally used. If materialsare to be transported by an auger or screw type conveyor, then a hollowinner barrel may be utilized and the auger or screw placed within thehollow inner barrel.

Typically, the gas from the blower is passed tangentially over the inletsuch that the gas, or gas and material mixture, sets up a flow patternthat circulates and traverses the inner barrel towards the acceleratingchamber. Once in the accelerating chamber, a vortex flow is developed.As the flow moves through the accelerating chamber, the flow acceleratesand a boundary layer flow begins to develop. The flow mixture thentravels out of the accelerating chamber into the outlet conduit which iscoupled to the accelerating chamber. As the gas/material mixture travelsdown the outlet conduit, the vortex flow transforms into a laminar flowsurrounded by the boundary layer flow. The mixture is then transportedthe length of the outlet conduit until it reaches its destination.

In operation, this embodiment operates at pressures between 1-9 psi. Oneadvantage of this lower pressure is that the operational costs aresubstantially reduced. A further advantage includes the reduction orsubstantial elimination of blowback problems.

In another embodiment of the instant invention, only the mixing chamberis used. Fluids flow into the inlet opening of the mixing chamber andset up the flow pattern, as described above. In operation, laminar andboundary layer flows are developed at low pressures, such as 1-10 psi,as well as high pressures, such as over 1,500 psi. Such high pressuresystems are common in natural gas conveying lines.

In another embodiment, the inlet opening in the mixing chamber isconfigured so as to allow the fluid to enter the mixing chamber axially.Flow deflecting means is configured near the opening to deflect theincoming material into the circulating flow traversing the inner barrel,as described above. This embodiment can develop laminar and boundarylayer flows from a turbulent flow, or can be used to restore an alreadyexisting substantially laminar flow.

Axial fluid entry is advantageous for inserting the mixing chamber into,for example, the tubing of an oil or gas well, where there may not beenough room in the existing casing to fit extra tubing for lateralentry. Axial entry mixing chambers can be attached between two segmentsof tubing or fitted inside existing tubing.

Additional embodiments of the instant invention are capable oftransporting fluids through dramatic elevation and directional changes.One advantage of this feature is that the system can be utilized invarious types of space and over varying terrain.

Embodiments of this system can be scaled to varying sizes. Advantages ofvarying sizes of this system include the ability to build a system invirtually any size space and allows users to more appropriately meettheir needs, e.g., lower costs, lower production requirements and lowermaintenance costs.

The fluids input into embodiments of this system are transported downthe conduit pipe in a laminar flow surrounded by a boundary layer flow.An advantage of the boundary layer flow is that it protects the conduitpipe from the fluid as it passes down the pipe and further protects thematerial that is being transported.

When the fluid is a particulate in a liquid and/or gas, due to highliquid/gas to particulate ratio in the fluid, the system can be shutdown and restarted without the need to clear the lines, thereby gainingan advantage of eliminating costly maintenance and line pluggingassociated with traditional technologies.

Additionally, embodiments of this system do not emit combustion orchemical pollutants. At least one advantage of this feature is that thesystem does not adversely affect the environment.

Further, particulates transported down the conduit in a gas aremechanically, not thermally dried of surface moisture. This provides theadvantage of eliminating explosion hazards associated with currentthermal dryers. It also surface dries materials at considerable lowerenergy costs than thermal dryers.

Other embodiments of the instant invention can separate different typesof materials within the flow, due to the mechanics of the boundary layerand laminar flows. Accumulated water in natural gas flow lines, forinstance, can be separated from the natural gas flow into the boundarylayer and drained. This can increase gas production and reduce highpressure areas in the line. This can also reduce “plugging” of the linedue to freezing condensates. Also, flows that contain several differenttypes of fluids, such as, for example, from a stripper oil wellcontaining a mixture of oil, gas, condensate and water, can be separatedby mass and/or form and collected with a separator tank.

The above and other advantages of embodiments of this invention will beapparent from the following more detailed description when taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is intended that theabove advantages can be achieved separately by different aspects of theinvention and that additional advantages of this invention will involvevarious combinations of the above independent advantages such thatsynergistic benefits may be obtained from combined techniques.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The detailed description of embodiments of the invention will be madewith reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like numeralsdesignate corresponding parts in the figures.

FIG. 1 is a schematic of an embodiment of a material conveying systemembodying features of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a top view of an embodiment of the mixing chamber and an inletof the material conveying system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 a is a plan view of an embodiment of a cross section of the inletcoupled to the outer barrel of the material conveying system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 b is a side cross section of the inlet in FIG. 3 a coupled to theouter barrel.

FIG. 4 is an embodiment of the outer barrel of the material conveyingsystem of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a cross section of an embodiment of a solid inner barrel ofthe material conveying system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a cross section of an embodiment of an accelerating chamber ofthe material conveying system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is a schematic of another embodiment of a material conveyingsystem utilizing a solid inner barrel and illustrating the paths of thefluid.

FIG. 8 a is an embodiment of a counterclockwise rotating fluid paththrough the outer barrel of FIG. 4.

FIG. 8 b is an embodiment of a clockwise rotating fluid path through theouter barrel of FIG. 4.

FIG. 9 is a cross section of an embodiment of a hollow inner barrel ofthe material conveying system.

FIG. 10 is a schematic of another embodiment of a fluid conveying systemutilizing an auger within a hollow inner barrel and illustrating theflow paths of the gas and material.

FIG. 11 is a schematic of another embodiment of a liquid and/or gasconveying system embodying features of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a schematic of an embodiment of a horizontal fluid conduitembodying features of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a schematic of a natural gas line with high pressure areasdue to liquid buildup.

FIG. 14 a is a cross-section of an embodiment of a down-hole deviceembodying features of the present invention.

FIG. 14 b is a view of the outer surface of the outer barrel and inletopening of one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 15 a is a cross section of an embodiment of the invention for axialinput of the fluid.

FIG. 15 b is a view of the inlet plate of one embodiment of theinvention.

FIG. 16 a is a side view of another embodiment of the invention foraxial input of the fluid that includes deflecting vanes.

FIG. 16 b is a cross section of the embodiment shown in FIG. 16 a.

FIG. 16 c is a cross section of the deflecting vanes and the outerbarrel of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 16 a and 16 b.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

An embodiment of the instant invention is directed to an apparatus and amethod for pneumatically conveying fluid through a conduit over longdistances, such as, for example, a mile, and through elevation anddirectional changes. In some embodiments the system further mechanicallydewaters and/or classifies the material by mass. With reference to FIG.1, an embodiment of an overall pneumatic material handling system 10includes a gas delivery system 20, a material delivery system 40 and amixing system 60. The gas delivery system 20 includes a gas filter 22,an inlet silencer 24, a blower assembly 26, an outlet silencer 28 and aplurality of coupling pipes 30, 32, 34 and 36. The blower assembly 26draws in gas through the inlet filter 22 from the environment andfilters out contaminants and other particulates. Inlet filters 22 arewell known in the art and manufactured, for example, by NelsonIndustries under the Universal Silencer name. Depending upon theenvironmental conditions, some preferred embodiments do not requireinlet filters as the gas does not require filtering.

The inlet filter 22 is connected by coupling pipe 30 to the inletsilencer 24 which includes a cylindrical body having a first end and asecond end. The first end and the second end each include openings forpassing gas into and out of the silencer 26. Silencers are also wellknown in the art and are manufactured, for example, by Nelson Industriesunder the Universal Silencer name.

The inlet silencer 24 is connected by coupling pipe 32 to the blowerassembly 26, which is any gas blowing device that is capable ofdelivering low pressure gas to the system. The blower assembly 26includes an inlet and outlet, wherein incoming gas enters the blowerassembly 26 through the inlet and passes out of the blower assembly 26through the outlet. In preferred embodiments, a positive displacementblower generating gas having a pressure capability of up to 12 psi maybe used. In one preferred embodiment, a Sutorbilt positive displacementblower, manufactured by Gardner Denver may be used.

The blower assembly 26 is connected by coupling pipe 34 to the outletsilencer 28.

Similar to the inlet silencer 24, the outlet silencer 28 includes acylindrical body having a first end and a second end, wherein the firstend and the second end each include openings for passing gas into andout of the outlet silencer 28. Both the inlet and outlet silencers 24,28 are used to reduce excessive noise generated by the blower assembly26. If noise is not a consideration, then inlet or outlet silencers arenot necessary.

The coupling pipe 36 is connected to the second end of the outletsilencer 28 and extends towards the mixing system 60. In preferredembodiments, the coupling pipe 36 has an opening 37 for receivingmaterial from the material delivery system 40 as described below.

The material delivery system 40 preferably includes a hopper 42, arotary feeder 44 and a frame 46. The hopper 42 includes an open end 48and a chute 50. The open end 48 of the hopper 42 accepts incomingmaterial to be processed, such as, for example, coal or rubber.Typically, the open end 48 is large enough to accept large quantities ofmaterials of varying sizes. In one preferred embodiment, the open end 48is rectangular in shape, although any shape capable of acceptingincoming material is suitable.

The chute 50 of the hopper 42 is funnel shaped having a first end 52 anda second end 54. The first end 52 of the chute 50 resides adjacent theopen end 48 of the hopper 48 such that material falls into the portionof the chute 50 having the largest diameter. The open end 48 and thechute 50 can be manufactured as a single piece or can be separatelymanufactured and coupled together, such as, for example, by welding. Inpreferred embodiments, the hopper 42 is made from materials, such as,but not limited to, steel, aluminum or metal alloys, although anymaterial capable of accepting large quantities of materials is suitable.

The rotary feeder 44 includes a chamber 56 having a rotor, a dispensingchute 58 and a motor 59. The chamber 56 is a hollow barrel, wherein theinterior of the barrel is separated into segments by radial spokes. Thechamber 56 further includes a top openings and a bottom opening. The topopening of the chamber 56 is coupled to and communicates with the secondend 54 of the hopper 42. With reference also to FIG. 7, the dispensingchute 58 has an outlet disposed over the opening 37 of the coupling pipe36 such that material flowing through the dispensing chute 58 enters thecoupling pipe 36.

The motor 59 resides adjacent the rotary feeder 44 and causes the rotorto rotate. The motor 59 is any suitable device for driving the rotaryfeeder 44 and may be electrically driven or generator operated. Rotaryfeeders are well known in the art and are manufactured, for example, byBush & Wilton Valves, Inc. Some preferred embodiments do not require arotary feeder 44.

The frame 46 provides support to the hopper 42 and rotary feeder 44. Theframe includes a plurality of legs, wherein the open end 48 of thehopper 42 is coupled to the legs, such as, for example, by welding. Somepreferred embodiments do not require a frame 46.

With reference to FIGS. 2, 3 a, 3 b and 4, the mixing system 60 includesan inlet conduit 62, a mixing chamber 64 and an outlet conduit 66.Preferably, the inlet conduit 62 is a pipe, although any conduit, suchas, for example, a hose, which is capable of receiving gas and/ormaterial is suitable. The inlet conduit 62 should preferably be capableof receiving large amounts of particulate material at high rates. Forinstance, in one preferred embodiment, the inlet conduit 62 is capableof receiving material up to 3″ in diameter at a rate of 500 tons/hour.For greater volumes, multiple systems can be used.

As shown in FIG. 3 b, the inlet conduit 62 includes a first end 68, asecond end 70 and a coupling flange 72, wherein both the first end 68and the second end 70 are open. Preferably, the diameter d_(inlet) ofthe inlet conduit 62 is substantially constant throughout the distancebetween the first end 68 and a point A at which the inlet conduit 62couples to the mixing chamber 64. Preferred embodiments typically havediameter sizes of 2″, 4″, 6″, 8″, 10″, 12″ and 18″ as it has been foundthat most materials with diameter sizes up to 5″ can pass through inletshaving these size diameters.

The coupling flange 72 extends radially outward from the first end 68 ofthe inlet conduit 62 and has a plurality of openings 73 for receivingfasteners. The coupling flange 72 is coupled to the second end of thecoupling pipe 36 such that the inlet conduit 62 is in fluidcommunication with the coupling pipe 36 and can receive incoming gas andparticulates.

Typically, the inlet conduit 62 is cylindrical in shape, although anyshape, such as, for example, a rectangle or octagon, which is capable ofpassing gas and material is suitable. In preferred embodiments, theinlet conduit 62 is made from durable materials, such as, for example,aluminum, metal alloys or steel, although any material capable ofcontacting a wide variety of materials without sustaining substantialdamage is suitable.

The mixing chamber 64 further includes an outer barrel 74, an innerbarrel 76 and an accelerating chamber 78. With reference also to FIG. 4,the outer barrel 74 includes a hollow interior 80 having an innerdiameter d_(ob), an opening 71 (see FIG. 3 b), a first end 84 and asecond end 86.

The hollow interior 80 is capable of receiving gas and material. Thesecond end 71 of the inlet conduit 62 (FIG. 3 b) is coupled around theopening 70 such that the hollow interior 80 of the mixing chamber 64(FIG. 4) is in fluid communication with the inlet conduit 62 of FIG. 3b.

Typically, the outer barrel 74 is cylindrical in shape. In preferredembodiments, the outer barrel 74 is made from durable materials, suchas, for example, aluminum, metal alloys or steel, although any materialcapable of contacting a wide variety of materials without incurringsubstantial damage is suitable.

With reference also to FIG. 5, the inner barrel 76 includes a firstmember 88, a second member 90 and a mounting flange 92. The first member88 includes a first end 94, a second end 96 and an outer surface 98. Theinner barrel 76 is disposed within the hollow interior 80 of the outerbarrel 74 (FIG. 2). In one preferred embodiment, the inner barrel 76 issolid. In other preferred embodiments, described below, the inner barrel76 is hollow.

Preferably, the first member 88 (FIG. 5) is cylindrical in shape.Further, the diameter d_(ib) of the first member 88 is preferablyconstant between the first end 94 and the second end 96.

The mounting flange 92 is a plate of any shape, such as, for example, adisk or rectangular element which is coupled to the first end 94 of thefirst member 88. In some preferred embodiments, the mounting flange 92and the first member 88 are formed as a single piece. The mountingflange 92 also connects to the first end 84 of the outer barrel 74.

The second member 90 of the inner barrel 76 includes a cylindricalsection 100 and a hemispherical end portion 102. The cylindrical section100 is coupled to the second end 96 of the first member 88.

The hemispherical end portion 102 resides adjacent the cylindricalsection 100. In some preferred embodiments, the hemispherical endportion 102 and the cylindrical section 100 are formed as a singleelement. Although this preferred embodiment depicts a hemisphericallyshaped end portion, any geometry from a flat plate to a hemisphericallyshaped cap is suitable. Typically, the radius of the hemispherical endportion 102 is substantially equivalent to the radius of the firstmember 88 and the cylindrical section 100 (FIG. 5 not drawn to scale).

Preferred embodiments of the inner barrel 76 are made from materials,such as, but not limited to, steel, metal alloys and aluminum. However,any material capable of contacting a wide variety of materials withoutincurring substantial damage is suitable.

With reference also to FIG. 6, the accelerating chamber 78 includes anouter cylindrical section 104 and a conical section 106. The outercylindrical section 104 includes a first end 108 and a second end 110,wherein the diameter d₁ is preferably constant between the first end 108and the second end 110. The first end 108 of the outer cylindricalsection 104 of the accelerating chamber 78 is coupled to the second end86 of the outer barrel 74.

The conical section 106 includes a first end 112 and a second end 114,wherein the first end 112 is coupled to the second end 110 of thecylindrical section 104. The diameter between the first end 112 and thesecond end 114 of the conical section decreases in size from the firstend 112 to the second end 114. In one preferred embodiment, the conicalsection 106 is a standard concentric pipe reducer. In anotherembodiment, the accelerating chamber 78 does not include the cylindricalsection 104, rather, the accelerating chamber is a cone, such as, forexample, a flat rolled cone, preferably having an angle of about 30-55degrees.

With reference to FIGS. 6 and 7, the outlet conduit 66 is a process pipehaving an outside diameter d_(oc1) and an inside diameter d_(oc2) forconveying material to a predetermined destination. The outlet conduit 66is coupled to the second end 112 of the conical section 106 of theaccelerating chamber 78 such that the material and gas mixture is passedfrom the accelerating chamber 78 into the outlet conduit 66. The outletconduit 66 can extend for long distances, such as for example, greaterthan 1 mile.

Referencing FIGS. 1 and 7, in operation, the blower assembly 26 isturned on and gas is drawn into the inlet filter 22. The gas is cleanedof particulates and passes into the inlet silencer 24. The gas passesthrough the inlet silencer 24 and enters the blower assembly 26. Theblower assembly 26 passes gas having up to 12 psi into the outletsilencer 28. As stated above, the inlet and outlet silencers reduce theamount of noise generated by the blower assembly 26. After the gaspasses through the outlet silencer 28, it exits into coupling pipe 36and travels past the material delivery system 40.

Either before, after or during the time that the gas delivery system 20has begun operation, material is input into the open end 48 of thehopper 42 or other feeder device. The material passes through the openend 48 and into the chute 50 wherein the material may accumulate untilfed out by the rotary feeder 44.

The rotary feeder 44 turns at a predetermined rate such that onlyspecified quantities of material are released from the feeder 44. Thematerial drops through the dispensing chute 58 and through the openingin the coupling pipe 36.

As gas passes through the coupling pipe 36, it picks up the material andentrains the material in the gas flow. The material and gas continuethrough the coupling pipe 36 and enter the first end 68 of the inletconduit 62. With reference also to FIG. 8 a, after entering the inletconduit 62, the material/gas mixture preferably flows around the innersurface of the outer barrel 74. This is in contrast to the turbulentflows created in current pneumatic systems. It is believed that thetangential input of the gas/material mixture along the interior of theouter barrel 74 leads to the development of the steady counterclockwiseflow (when viewed from the back of the chamber) of the mixture in theouter barrel 74. With reference to FIG. 8 b, in other preferredembodiments, the inlet conduit 62 may be mounted to the opposite side ofthe outer barrel 74 such that the gas/material mixture flows in aclockwise direction in systems in use below the equator due to theCoriolis effect. The counterclockwise flow is preferred north of theequator due to the fact that a natural vortex rotates counterclockwise.However, clockwise rotations can also be established north of theequator.

As more gas and material flows into the mixing chamber 64, thegas/material mixture traverses the length of the inner barrel 76 whileflowing counterclockwise around its outer surface 98 until it reachesthe hemispherical end portion 102 in FIG. 5.

After passing over the hemispherical end portion 66 the gas/materialflow preferably forms a vortex 77, which is a combination of a sink flowand an irrotational vortex flow, and is accelerated through theaccelerating chamber 78 (FIG. 7). As the flow traverses the length ofthe accelerating chamber 78, Taylor vortices, in the form of a boundarylayer flow 79 of gas, begins to form along the inner surface of theaccelerating chamber 78 such that the forming boundary layer flow 79surrounds the vortex flow 77. Typically, the boundary layer flow is0.125″-0.25″ thick. Generally, no material is found in the boundarylayer flow 79, however, moisture is typically found in the boundarylayer.

The vortex flow 77 and forming boundary layer flow 79 exit theaccelerating chamber 78 through the second end 114 of the conicalsection 106 and enter the outlet conduit 66. As the flows 77, 79 exitthe accelerating chamber 78, the boundary layer flow 79 is aboutsubstantially formed and traverses down the outlet conduit 66 atvelocities of about less than 5 mph. The gas flowing in the boundarylayer 79 preferably circulates around the inner circumference of theoutlet conduit 66.

The vortex 77 continues to travel for about 10-60 feet within the outletconduit 66 prior to a laminar flow 81 forming. The length of the vortexcan vary with the volume of gas or product mass. In contrast to the slowmoving boundary layer flow 79, the gas in the laminar flow 81 is movingat velocities of about 50-60 mph. The material, which is travelingwithin the laminar flow 81, can travel at velocities of about 100 mph.Further, the denser material is traveling in the center of the laminarflow 81 while progressively less dense material travels in the outerportion of the laminar flow 81. As previously mentioned, moisturetravels closest to, or in, the boundary layer flow 79.

In addition to the features discussed above, some preferred embodimentsof the instant invention further include a controller 116 (see FIG. 1).In some preferred embodiments, the controller 116 is a computer, suchas, for example, a personal computer, although any device capable ofregulating the amount of gas and material input into the system issuitable. To control the amount of gas input into the system, somecontrollers include a variable frequency drive (not shown) which helpsto automatically regulate the gas flow for a given material. Othercontrollers allow manual regulation by the user or allow the systemparameters to be set to deliver a constant flow.

In addition to regulating the amount of gas input, the controller 116may regulate the speed of the rotor which feeds material into thesystem. Typically, an optimal ratio exists between the type of materialto be input and the amount of gas required for a suitable gas/materialratio such that a stable flow of material can be created to transportthe material. For instance, for coal, the optimal ratio of gas to coalis 1.75 to 1.0 volume of gas to weight of coal.

Other preferred embodiments, also include a moisture collection system132 and a decelerator 134. With reference to FIG. 7, the moisturecollection system 132 is a vacuum system coupled to the outlet conduit66 at various locations. The moisture collection 132 system pullsmoisture off of the boundary layer flow 79 as it travels down the outletconduit 66. Cyclones can also be used to remove the moisture in otherpreferred embodiments. The decelerator 134 slows down the material whichis moving through the outlet conduit 66. The decelerator 134 is either acollection bin or a cyclone system. Cyclones are well known in the artand are manufactured by, for example, Fisher-Klosderman, Inc.

In some preferred embodiments, the sizing of the various elements arespecifically related to each other. It will be appreciated that this isnot intended to restrict the sizing of any of the elements, but ratherto illustrate relationships between elements found in some preferredembodiments.

In one preferred embodiment, many of the elements are sized with respectto the diameter of the outlet conduit. Preferably, the diameterd_(inlet) of the inlet conduit 62 is substantially equivalent to theinner diameter d_(oc2) of the outlet conduit 66. This equivalency indiameters increases the likelihood that materials passing into thesystem are capable of passing out of the system. The precise diameter ofthe inlet conduit 68 is, in part, determined based upon the type ofmaterial and the rate of material to be input. For instance, materialssuch as, for example, coal or rubber, less than 1″ in size preferablyrequire an inlet diameter of 4″ for an input rate of 5 tons/hour.

Regarding the outer barrel 74, the inner diameter of the hollow interior80 of the outer barrel 74 ranges from about 1.5 to 2.5 times the size ofthe inner diameter d_(oc2) of the outlet conduit 66. In one preferredembodiment, the inner diameter of the hollow interior 80 is, forexample, 8″, which is 2.0 times as large as the inner diameter of theoutlet conduit 66.

Similar to the outer barrel proportions, the outer diameter d_(ib) ofthe inner barrel 76 ranges from about 1.0 to 1.5 times the size of theinner diameter of the outlet conduit 66. In one preferred embodiment,the outer diameter of the inner barrel 76 is 5″, which is 1.25 times thesize of the inner diameter of the outlet conduit 66.

With respect to the accelerating chamber 78, the diameter at the firstend d₁ (FIG. 6) is equal to the diameter d_(ob) of the outer barrel 74.The diameter of the second end 114 of the conical section 106 issubstantially equivalent to the inner diameter of the outlet conduit 66.The length of the conical section 4 is preferably about 1.5 to 2.5 timesthe inner diameter at the outlet conduit 66. In one preferredembodiment, the length of the conical section 106 is about 8″, which isabout 2.0 times the size of the inner diameter of the outlet conduit 66.

The diameters of the various elements are not the only proportionallysized aspects of features of preferred embodiments. For instance, thelength of the outer barrel 74 preferably ranges from about 2.0 to 4.5times the size of the outer diameter d_(oc1) of the outlet conduit 66.Further, the opening 82 in the outer barrel 74 which couples to thesecond end 70 of the inlet conduit 62, is typically 1.5 times thecross-sectional area of the inlet conduit 62 (see FIG. 3 b). This allowsfor faster transport of material into the hollow interior 80 of theouter barrel 74.

Regarding the inner barrel 76, the length L_(ic) of the inner barrel 76is slightly longer than the length of the outer barrel 74. In preferredembodiments, the inner barrel 76 is longer by about 0.25″ to 0.5″. Inone preferred embodiment, the length of the inner barrel 76 is 0.25″longer than the length of the outer chamber 44, specifically, the lengthis 12.25″.

With respect to FIG. 10, an alternative embodiment of the instantinvention includes a gas delivery system 20, a material delivery system40 and a mixing system 60. Reference is made to the discussions aboveregarding the gas delivery system 20.

In this preferred embodiment, the material delivery system 40 includes ahopper 42, wherein the hopper 42 includes an open end 48 and a chute 50.Reference is made to the discussions above regarding the open end 48 andthe chute 50.

The mixing system 60 includes an inlet conduit 62, a mixing chamber 64and an outlet conduit 66. Reference is made to the discussions aboveregarding the inlet conduit 62 and the outlet conduit 66.

The mixing chamber 64 further includes an outer barrel 74, an innerbarrel 76 and an accelerating chamber 78, wherein the outer barrel 74and accelerating chamber 78 have been previously discussed.

Also with reference to FIG. 9, the inner barrel 76 includes a hollowinterior 118, a first end 120, a second end 122, a coupling position124, and a mounting flange 92. The first end 120 of the inner barrel 76is open and includes an annular flange 126 extending radially outwardtherefrom. The first end 120 must be sized to accept the proper sizedauger.

The second end 122 of the inner barrel 76 is also open and furtherincludes beveled ends 128, wherein the ends are beveled inwardly. Thediameter of the second end 122 is substantially equivalent to thediameter of the first end 120 such that material input into the innerbarrel 76 is capable of exiting the inner barrel 76.

Reference is made to the discussions above regarding the mounting flange92. However, in this embodiment, the mounting flange 92 is coupled tothe inner barrel 76 at the coupling position 124. The coupling position124 is determined, in part, from the length of the outer barrel 74,wherein the distance between the coupling position 124 and the secondend 122 will be about the length of the outer barrel 74 plus an amountin the range of about 0.25″-0.5″. In one preferred embodiment, the innerbarrel 76 extends 0.25″ longer than the outer barrel 76.

With reference to FIG. 10, an auger 130 or screw type conveyor having anopening 127 and an annular flange 129 is disposed within the hollowchamber 118 to move material into the system. Flange 129 of the augercouples to flange 126 of the inner barrel 76. Suitable augers are wellknown in the art. An auger or screw type material transport is typicallyused in instances where the material to be conveyed is hot or can damageor destroy the outer surface 98 of the inner chamber 76 as the auger canbe treated for specific needs, e.g., chemically treated or heat treated.

In these systems, material falls from the second end 54 of the hopper 42and is deposited in the auger 130 through the opening 127. The auger 130moves the material from the point of deposit to the second end 122 ofthe inner chamber 76. The gas, which has entered the system in the samemanner as described above, picks up the material at the second end 122of the inner chamber 76. The remainder of the process, as describedabove, is the same.

The boundary layer and laminar flows developed by embodiments of thisinvention are capable of maintaining a steady state flow in excess ofone mile. Further, these flows can experience elevation changes, suchas, for example, 200 foot vertical and directional changes, such as, forexample, about 90° to 180°, without loss of the steady state flows.Further, due to the relatively low pressure of the input gas coupledwith the configuration of the mixing chamber 64, this system achievesoperating pressures of about 1-9 psi though the system can operate atpressures up to the maximum obtained by the gas system, such as, forexample, 12 psi. In addition to reducing blowback problems andincreasing distances traveled by the materials, this system hassubstantially lower operating costs.

In one embodiment, a mile of 2″ schedule 40 PVC water pipe, coupledtogether every 20 feet, successfully transported coal through theconduit to the predetermined destination without interruption of thelaminar flow, as evidenced by the steady state of the output from theconduit. Further, this piping was laid along an uneven and curvedpathway such that the materials traveled through elevational anddirectional changes. In another instance, 75 tons per hour of coal weremoved in a 100′ vertical direction and through a 180 degree turn anddown 100′ vertical to a collection bin.

Due to the extremely high velocities attained by the material within theflows, laminar and vortex, materials exiting the conduit have beendewatered during transport. Indeed, a product of 3″ or less can be driedto within 10% or less of its surface moisture. In some preferredembodiments, a vacuum is coupled to the conduit outlet 66 at variouslocations and enhances the moisture removal ability of the process.Further, as the materials are all moving at the same velocity, but havedifferent mass, therefore different momenta, the particulate materialwill naturally separate out according to mass at the discharge point.Thus, one benefit of this system includes the separation of inputmaterials upon discharge. A collection bin for different particulatesneed only be placed near the outlet 66 to capture the separatedparticulate material upon exiting the system.

In reference to FIG. 11, a flow development chamber can be placed inseveral different locations in a gas flow line and gas well, alone or inseries, as shown. At location A, a mixing chamber for tangential inputof a fluid at the base of a gas well, or a “down-hole device”, is shown.The down-hole device at location A can be placed above a natural gassource 164, such as gas formation sands, inside casing 162 and belowground level 166. A description of this embodiment is below withreference to FIGS. 14 a-b. At location B, a mixing chamber for axialinput of a fluid, or an “in-line device”, is shown in-line with tubing153 and 160. A description of this embodiment is below with reference toFIGS. 15 a-b. At location C, a mixing chamber for tangential input of afluid, or a “flow-line device”, is shown joining two sections of piping150 and 152 which can output the material flow into a separator tank orgathering system, as described below in reference to FIG. 13.

The flow development chamber embodiments discussed above can also beadded or retrofitted to an existing linear pipeline. One segment of thepipeline can be removed and replaced with a spool piece and a mixingchamber. With reference to FIG. 12, a spool piece 136 is coupled betweentwo existing piping segments 138, 146 in a horizontal material flowconduit. The line of flow in the pipeline runs along the line A-B. Inthis embodiment, no blower assembly, feed section, or PLC controls arenecessary. The material flows downstream from A-B through the firstexisting piping segment 138 and into the spool piece 136. The spoolpiece 136 includes piping segments 140-144, which can be connected tothe existing piping and mixing chamber by flanges 139. Piping segment144 functions like inlet conduit 62 of FIGS. 2-3 b and 8 a-8 b to inputthe fluid into the mixing chamber 64. One skilled in the art willunderstand that the piping in the spool piece 136 can be configured innumerous ways to allow the material to flow from the first existingpiping segment 138 to the lateral edge of the mixing chamber 64. Themixing chamber is coupled to the second existing piping segment 146,which functions like conduit outlet 66 of FIGS. 1-3 a and 6-7.

In one embodiment, the spool piece 136 and mixing chamber 64 are coupledto two segments of a 10″ high pressure (1,000 psi) gas line. Pipingsegments 140-144 have 10″ diameters. The outer barrel 74 has a 16″diameter and the inner barrel 76 has a 12″ diameter. 2″ and 6″ diameterhigh pressure gas lines are also common and can be coupled to aproportionally sized mixing chamber and spool piece tubing. Theseembodiments can also be used for a wide range of pressures, from about 1psi to over 1,500 psi, and can also establish the boundary layer andlaminar flows with a non-compressible fluid, such as water or oil, whenaccompanied by a gas.

Embodiments of this invention can also exclude a spool piece if retrofitinto an existing linear pipeline is unnecessary. With reference to FIG.13, the mixing chamber 64 is shown coupled to two natural gas linesegments in a flow line with accumulated fluids in low points 148 in theline. The first gas line segment 150 descends underground to input thenatural gas into the inlet conduit 62 and the mixing chamber 64. Thesecond natural gas line segment 152 is coupled to a moisture collectionsystem 132 to remove the accumulated fluids from the gas line by themethod described above. Removal of these accumulated fluids increasesgas production and reduces high pressure areas in the line.

With reference to FIGS. 14 a-b, the mixing chamber 64 is shown at thebottom of a gas well. Natural gas flows into the mixing chamber 64through the inlet 62. The natural gas can be made to flow into the inlet62 by either pressurizing the casing 162 with gas or gas, or fixing aseating nipple (not shown) above the opening to restrict the flow of gasfrom flowing above the inlet 62. The natural gas flows around the innerbarrel 76, and through the accelerating chamber 78, as described above.The inner barrel 76 can be formed with a substantially conical end, asshown, allowing the annular space between the inner barrel 76 and theaccelerating chamber 78 to increase toward the outlet end of the innerbarrel 76. This shape of the inner barrel 76 has been shown to liftfluids vertically in gas wells better than a substantially cylindricalend of the inner barrel 76. A conical inner barrel is also effective inlifting fluids vertically in gas wells.

The mixing chamber can also be configured to accept the fluid axially.Axial input can be advantageous by allowing installation of the mixingchamber between existing linear pipelines without the need for extratubing. In reference to FIGS. 15 a-b, tubing 153 is coupled to asubstantially conical input conduit 155, that is coupled to inlet plate156. Deflectors 154, 157 deflect the flow 151 of material through theinlet opening 158 in the inlet plate 156 and around the inner barrel 76to establish a vortex flow. Deflector 154 deflects the flow entering theinput conduit 155 toward one edge of the input conduit 155. Although oneinlet opening 158 and one set of deflectors 154, 157 are shown in FIGS.15 a-b, it is also within the scope of the invention to include multipleinlet openings and multiple sets of deflectors. The flow then passesthrough the inlet opening 158 and into the annular space between theouter barrel 74 and the inner barrel 76. The flow is then deflectedagain by deflector 157 to direct it tangentially around the inner barrel76. The deflectors can include deflecting plates, a spiraling tube, orany material capable of deflecting the flow of the material to circulatearound the inner barrel 76. Other suitable materials and configurationsfor such deflectors should be apparent to one skilled in the art. Theflow can then develop into a boundary layer and laminar flow as itprogresses through the accelerating chamber 78 and out through tubing160. By inputting the fluid into the mixing chamber axially, the chambercan be more easily coupled to existing pipelines. This embodiment can beinstalled in the middle of tubing or other piping, to reestablish alaminar flow that has deteriorated.

Another embodiment of an axial entry mixing chamber is shown in FIGS. 16a-c. In this embodiment, the diameter of the outer barrel 174 decreasesin the direction of the tubing 153, which can be directly connected tothe inlet end of the outer barrel 174. The inner barrel 176 issubstantially conical on both ends. In this embodiment, the outer barrel174 is connected to the tubing 153 by a plate 200.

Deflecting vanes 202, 204, 206, 208 are cut out from the tubing 153 andhave an upstream side 216 and a downstream side 222 axially, and aninner side 218 and a projecting side 220 radially. The deflecting vanes202, 204, 206, 208 project axially from the tubing 153 with theirupstream sides 216 in contact with the plate 200. The deflecting vanes202, 204, 206, 208 are in a double arcuate shape to radially contact theouter barrel 174 with the upstream, projecting ends 216, 220 as well ascontacting the inner barrel 176 with the downstream, inner ends 222,218, which, in this embodiment, outline an inner concentric circle 212.

In this embodiment, the deflecting vanes 202, 204, 206, 208 are formedby making four axial cuts into the end of the tubing 153 and toward oneside to form a flap. The flap is then deflected outwardly to form theprojecting side of the deflecting vanes 202, 204, 206, 208. Accordingly,with reference to FIG. 16 c, the end of the tubing 153 includes fourcircular tube portions that are the inner sides 218 of the deflectingvanes 202, 204, 206, 208 and four outwardly projecting portions that arethe projecting sides 220 of the deflecting vanes. Therefore, in thisembodiment, a double arcuate shape of the deflecting vanes 202, 204,206, 208 is formed in the radial direction.

It is also within the scope of the invention for the deflecting vanes toproject radially in a line from the inner side 218 to the projectingside 220. Although the described embodiment includes a plate 200, it isalso within the scope of the invention that the outer barrel 174 extendsdirectly to the tubing 153 with the deflecting vanes 202, 204, 206, 208projecting downstream at an angle. It is also within the scope of theinvention for the deflecting vanes to be fixed to the outer barrel orthe inner barrel and projecting inward toward the tubing. In thisembodiment, the deflecting vanes 202, 204, 206, 208 deflect the fluidflow in a clockwise direction around the inner barrel 176 and into theaccelerating chamber 78.

Although many of the embodiments of the invention have been discussed interms of fluids that are particulates within a gas, these embodimentswould function equally well with any fluids, such as gas alone, liquidalone, or any combination of gas, liquid and/or particulates.

The measurements given in this disclosure are not intended to limit theinvention. Indeed, variations in the size of this system have proveneffective and this system is capable of operating as a free standingunit or a cabinet mounted system, e.g., on a trailer which can betransported.

Although the foregoing describes the invention with preferredembodiments, this is not intended to limit the invention. Rather, theforegoing is intended to cover all modifications and alternativeconstructions falling within the spirit and scope of the invention.

1. A fluid handling system comprising: an inlet pipe for receiving thefluid; an outer barrel having an inlet end coupled to the inlet pipe, anoutlet end and an interior surface that increases in diameter toward theoutlet end of the outer barrel; an accelerating chamber having an inletend and an outlet end, the inlet end of the accelerating chamberextending concentrically from the outlet end of the outer barrel, theaccelerating chamber having an interior surface that decreases indiameter toward the outlet end of the accelerating chamber; at least onedeflecting vane with an upstream side, a downstream side, an inner sideand a projecting side, the at least one deflecting vane projectingradially outward with the upstream, projecting side contacting the outerbarrel and the upstream, inner side contacting the inlet pipe; and aninner barrel having an exterior surface with an inlet end and an outletend, the inlet end having an outer diameter that increases toward theoutlet end and the outlet end having an outer diameter that increasestoward the inlet end, the inner barrel located at least partly insidethe outer barrel, the accelerating chamber and in contact with thedownstream, inner side of the at least one deflecting vane, wherein theouter barrel, the inner barrel and the accelerating chamber are arrangedto form a substantially unobstructed annular space between the interiorsurface of the outer barrel and the exterior surface of the innerbarrel, the annular space extending from the downstream end of the atleast one deflecting vane to the interior surface of the acceleratingchamber, wherein the at least one deflecting vane is configured suchthat the fluid is directed to circulate around the inner barrel andtraverse the annular space from the at least one deflecting vane towardthe outlet end of the outer barrel.
 2. A fluid handling systemcomprising: an inlet pipe for receiving fluid; an outer barrel having aninlet end coupled to the inlet pipe, an outlet end and an interiorsurface that increases in diameter toward the outlet end of the outerbarrel; an accelerating chamber having an inlet end and an outlet end,the inlet end of the accelerating chamber extending concentrically fromthe outlet end of the outer barrel, the accelerating chamber having aninterior surface that decreases in diameter toward the outlet end of theaccelerating chamber; an inner barrel having an exterior surface with aninlet end and an outlet end, the inlet end having an outer diameter thatincreases toward the outlet end and the outlet end having an outerdiameter that increases toward the inlet end, the inner barrel locatedat least partly inside the outer barrel and the accelerating chamber,wherein the outer barrel, the inner barrel and the accelerating chamberare arranged to form an annular space between the interior surface ofthe outer barrel and the exterior surface of the inner barrel andbetween the interior surface of the accelerating chamber and theexterior surface of the inner barrel, at least one deflecting vanebetween the outer barrel and the inner barrel configured such that fluidpassing through the inlet pipe into the outer barrel is directed tocirculate around the inner barrel and traverse the annular space fromthe at least one deflecting vane toward the outlet end of the outerbarrel.
 3. The fluid handling system of claim 1, wherein at least onedeflecting vane with an upstream side, a downstream side, an inner sideand a projecting side, the at least one deflecting vane projectingradially outward with the upstream, projecting side contacting the outerbarrel and the upstream, inner side contacting the inlet pipe.
 4. Thefluid handling system of claim 1, wherein the upstream, inner side ofthe at least one deflecting vane contacting the inlet pipe.